Addis Residents say city transport system is buckling

CAPITAL-Despite a number of efforts the Transport Authority says it is taking, Addis Ababa city residents cry that the shortage of public transport has not been eased and the situation could become critical.

A number of residents Capital talked to complained taxis are creating an artificial shortage.
“As you see, there is not taxi to go to Piassa, but so many to Shoa Bakery and Olympia. When they reach to Olympia they will start calling ‘Ambassador Theatre’. The funny part is these taxis themselves will call for ‘Piassa’ once they reach the ‘Ambassador’ area. The trick is to charge at least twice and earn double from the same route,” Lulit Tesfaye, an accountant, commented to Capital around the ‘Bole Bridge’ area.A”I think it is worsening day by day and it needs some sort of fix before we find our city in a situation where no transportation system will work,” Lulit added.

Similar complaints were heard from residents around the Dembel area, waiting for taxies to go to Bole Airport.

In ‘Tele Medhanialem’ areas, residents are seen running and involved in a bitter pushes to get a seat on the very small number of taxis available to take them to ‘Kazanchis’.

Most of the residents are destined to Piassa and Merkato, which means another struggle once they arrive at Kazanchis. The scenes at the Autobis Tera are similar.

A number of crowds are witnessed, especially early in the morning until 9am and during afternoons after 3pm.Capital witnessed taxis selecting passengers only with goods destined for longer routes, with the self-styled line monitors hardly helping the residents.
“I came from Awassa, where the traffic situation has been flawless and I found no trouble finding a bus there.”But I could not find a taxi to go to Piassa, the taxis are both small and selective for longer routes,” Sewit Taye, a Debub University student, commented around Autobis Tera where she said she had already waited for a taxi for more than 40 minutes.

The latest report from the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) accepts the transport situation in Addis is ever-worsening. MoTC says the Federal Transport Authority is embarking on mid term and also short term solutions in light of the current problems.

All taxis and Higer midi buses are requested by public notices to register and select routes they will regularly work on, which can be changed at certain intervals.

MoTC says it opened 13 permanent offices to monitor the city’s traffic flow and inspect transporters’ operations with patrolling cars and motors. 42 officers are said to monitor taxis’ operations, which should result in improvements when the registered taxis begin to operate under the new system that should start early next week.
MoTC says the longer term solution is for Addis Ababa to enjoy a mass transport solution, such as light rail transit.

MoTC explains its turn-key contract inked to construct 35 kilometres of rail in Addis Ababa is not going ahead, as the winner of the latest bid could not comply with the negotiation within the given period.

A turn-key project is a type of project constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer in a ready to use condition.

Exploring other options, the ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Railways Group Limited (CREC) to revive the project.
CREC and the ministry are jointly conducting studies to finance the project. However vital the project may be to the city’s transport, residents are more eager to see the fruits of the ongoing taxis and mid buses registration and the new system starting next week.

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